Spaghetti can be eaten most successfully if you inhale it like a vacuum cleaner.
Sophia Loren
Continuing on with the cooking club theme for this week pantry, fridge and freezer supper assignment and a quick one at that…Of course Spaghetti, garlic and olive oil is a classic simple dish in most Italian homes and Hugh’s version is like most of our family versions, but this time I took the liberty of changing it up a bit by adding that lovely sweet fermented black garlic that I find at Trader Joe’s and paired with the special purchase of Tunisian or the Novello Italian Reserve olive oil makes for a nice simple dinner and to finish my dish I sprinkled red pepper flakes, some freshly grated parmesan and another drizzle of olive oil (good for bread sopping up extra oil). Perfect dinner with a simple salad and some crusty bread…
Spaghetti, garlic and oil slightly adapted
Per person
100g (almost 1/4 of a pound) spaghetti, linguine or tagliatelle
1 garlic clove (or 1 fat clove of black garlic, diced)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grated Parmesan or hard, matured goat’s cheese to serve (optional)
Cook pasta according to package directions. Check your garlic clove: if it has even a touch of green shoot in the centre, nick this out as it will be bitter, then cut the garlic into thin slivers. Heat the extra virgin olive oil very gently in a small pan over a low heat.
When it is hot, add the garlic and cook for just 30 seconds or so. Don’t let it colour more than the merest fraction. Remove from the heat.
Drain the pasta and toss with the garlicky oil. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to warm bowls. I like this just as it is, without any cheese. But I wouldn’t begrudge you a few gratings of Parmesan or other hard cheese, if you feel the urge.
Fearnley-Whittingstall, Hugh (2012-10-11). Hugh’s Three Good Things (Kindle Locations 3866-3879). Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.
Cucina Magia 
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